The disclosed embodiments relate generally to medical devices and more particularly to a medical device having a needle with multiple arcuate portions for anchor placement of a male incontinence sling into a body of a patient.
Many of the known medical devices for implanting a sling into a pelvic region of a body were developed for use in the female pelvis. The female pelvis, however, is shaped differently than the male pelvis. More particularly, in the male pelvis the angle between the inferior pubic rami is narrower (about 70 degrees) in men, and wider (about 90-100 degrees) in female pelvis. Hence, the angle is known as the subpubic angle in males and pubic arch in females. In addition the inferior rami of the pubic bone that form this angle/arch are more concave in females and straighter in males such that the male pelvis is more closed and harder to access. Thus, the shape of some known medical devices may be insufficient for reaching or maneuvering around the male pelvic bone. For example, some known medical devices include a needle defining a single plane and having an arc, thereby providing the device with only a single plane of rotation. Such known medical devices are sufficient for delivering a portion of an implant (e.g., a sling) to the obturator tissues in a female pelvis. Such known medical devices, however, can be insufficient for delivery to the obturator tissues in a male pelvis. More specifically, known medical devices having only a single plane of rotation result in the needle of the medical device running parallel to the obturator muscles instead of piercing the obturator muscles when used in male anatomy.
Thus, a need exists for a medical device that has a configuration that facilitates insertion of a sling for an implant within a male pelvic region. For example, a need exists for a medical device that facilitates insertion around or behind the male pubic bones.